The Abandoned Lady

Chapter 17

It was great to be back as Oscar entered Warrigton House, into the scent of fresh lavender. His valet, Edward was here, so he felt more relaxed. Oscar wondered where Amelia was as she hadn't come to meet him as most women did to their husbands. He had sent a letter before, informing her that he was on his way, but it seemed like she was preoccupied with something else too important that was not him.

The past week was almost torture, trying to figure out the secret, knowing that the answer was only a few seconds away along with the absence of Amelia and their conversations. Nonetheless, his father had severely irritated him, as he was not budging in answering. Oscar knew his father was a stubborn, a man who would never break his oath even if others betrayed him. However, he had managed to start his quest in discovering the truth as he had managed to get hold of a private investigator, but to hire him was another mission because of the ridiculous questions he had asked along with tremendous expense needed. Nonetheless, a compromise was finally met.

Oscar knew that there was a huge mission in front of him and may take an excruciating long time, but what Oscar really feared was if he would even find out. But there was hope, despite Amelia having know very few people all her life, but her uncle had many acquaintances, from all social classes as well as the country. It was strange to think that he was spying on his own wife and that soon, he was going to know more about her background than she herself - but only if he was successful.

After washing and freshening up, Oscar decided it was time to find Amelia. He hated to admit it but he had missed Amelia and her exquisite persona. Where was she going to be , in the flower garden or somewhere else? She had so many places that Oscar had never really bothered with when he had resided in the past . Warrington House never really felt like home after his mother had passed, it was just like a faint echo of his childhood. Oscar removed the sombre thought from his head. He hadn't really had the chance to know his mother. Also, the changes brought by Amelia's fanciful decoration made Warrington House more like a home to him then it had ever been. It was time to focus on the future, after all, the past was the past and that's where it belonged, even if it had the tendency to reappear in the present or future.

"Where is her ladyship? Oscar asked a maid as he exited his room, he hated to admit that he sounded desperate, but the fact was he was a little desperate- just a little.

"I do not know my lord, but I sae her going towards the end of the house early this morning." the maid said curtsying.

"thank you." Oscar said as he turned on his heels towards the direction of the end of the house, hoping that he"d find Amelia soon.

Oscar wondered through his house once again, but this time actually perceiving the gracious art that hung on the walls which had replaced the old. Good, he had never like the old ones, they all looked too grim and dull, especially the portraits, who seemed all too gloomy, stern and-almost angry. It was funny that the only portraits that remained was one of his father, mother and him as a boy and another one just of him, at his nineteenth year. He remembered when the portrait had been painted, in which he looked so young and youthful. It was just after he had finished his education and his father had finally granted him permission to go on his first ever ship journey to Spain. His picture stood, between two large windows, the lights enhanced the beauty of the portrait, depicting the careful brushstrokes and his youthfulness.

Later, he had reached the end of the house. All the rooms seemed unoccupied, silent even, except a slight noise of someone shuffling from a room which had been locked on his first after returning from America. A sort of banging noise escaped through that very door. So, Oscar thought, it was a room that was used, more importantly by his lady wife but for what?

Oscar leaned his head against the wall, trying to listen to the noise coming from behind it. it seemed that objects, heavy objects were being shuffled around.